Partition of lead in milk-pectin aqueous biphasic system with complexation agents

In present work, decontamination of raw cow milk from lead was investigated using the 'membraneless dialysis'. The 4% w/w solutions of apple pectin, degree of esterification 70%, containing various complexing agents were used for experiments at the initial volume ration pectin : milk = 3:7 which changed to 8:2 at equilibration. Radioactive indicator 212Pb was prepared from 228Th emanator. After dissolution in Jennes-Koops buffer with 10-5 M Pb2+ carrier, milk was spiked with the indicator for 100 minutes. Distribution equilibrium of water and lead was achieved after next 100 minutes but yield of lead extraction into pectin phase was less then 2.3% in the case of raw milk, and less then 3.0% in the case of pasteurized milk. Due to denaturation of raw milk, there are strongly limited possibilities to influence the radionuclide partition in the systems. Various non-toxic complexation agents (glycine, alanine, histidine, cysteine, Edtacal) were applied to improve extraction of lead to pectin phase. Glycine and histidine have not influence on lead extraction yields but there was observed an increased yield, 3,8% for alanine and even 25% for 0.002 M cysteine. As the most interesting appeared application of Edtacal, calcium salt of ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid, EDTA by which the recovery of lead with with pectin phase reached about 80% at concentration of EDTA in initial pectin phase 0.001 M. The retention of Pb2+ cation in milk phase is extraordinary high as compared with strontium and corresponds to behavior of trivalent ions what is attributed to specific interactions with thiol groups of milk components